Fowler Films: Yáamay: An Ode to Blooming

Yáamay: An Ode to Blooming is a lyrical short film centering the voices and experiences of contemporary California Indigenous women. Built on original poetry, the film unfolds as an intimate journey through identity, memory, and the enduring legacies of California’s Native communities.
Through a dynamic montage of modern footage, archival material, and animatic sequences, Yáamay moves fluidly between the personal and the collective, the past and the possible. The women featured reflect on their relationships to land, culture, family, and futurity, offering perspectives that are deeply rooted yet forward-looking. Embracing complexity, its highs and lows, histories and dreams, questions and revelations, the film honors Indigenous women across generations. By inviting viewers into these layered stories, Yáamay uplifts narratives too often overlooked and celebrates the continued presence, creativity, and leadership of California Indigenous communities.
Join us for a screening and conversation with co-directors Camaray Davalos and Casse Kíihut, poet/producer Avelaka Macarro, and Marlene’ Dusek.

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Host or Publisher Fowler Museum at UCLA